Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Senegal
1 in 243 babies · 0.41% of births · about 552,510 a year
Right now, about 0.41% of the world's babies are born in Senegal — 1 in 243, or roughly 552,510 a year and 1,514 a day. Life expectancy there is 68.9 years.
How the 1 in 243 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Senegal has about 552,510 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.41% — 1 in 243. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Senegal, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 71.0 · men 67.0 | 68.9 years | 121st highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 36.5 / 1,000 | 3.7% | 122nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 28.9 / 1,000 | 2.9% | 124th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 237 | 141st lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.77 | 141st lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 8.8 years | 150th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 15.3% | 122nd highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $5,463 | 133rd highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 36.20 | 71st highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 55.8% | 110th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 29.6% | 111th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 60.1% | 117th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 0.3 | 7th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 44.3% | 124th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 0.30% | 76th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 5.4% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Senegal compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Senegal is 68.9 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 3.7%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $5,463, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 8.8 years against 0.0. 55.8% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Senegal | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 68.9 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 3.7% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $5,463 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 8.8 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 55.8% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 68.9 years on average, with roughly 36.5 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 8.8 years of school, and income per person is around $5,463. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Senegal
The game draws Senegal in about 1 of every 243 births. From there the life runs year by year: 68.9 years of life expectancy on average, a 3.7% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $5,463 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Zimbabwe — 1 in 265
- Chance of being born in Guinea — 1 in 267
- Chance of being born in Benin — 1 in 271
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Senegal?
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Is Senegal a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.